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The Zookeeper's Wife

A War Story

Documents the true story of Warsaw Zoo keepers and resistance activists Jan and Antonina Zabinski, who in the aftermath of Germany's invasion of Poland saved the lives of hundreds of Jewish citizens by smuggling them into empty cages and their home villa.

From the critics

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As I'm in the middle of this book, that it is so difficult to get through to the next page and finally reading reviews on it I'm realizing I should have done that first. I knew this was a great book from this background but the author makes this a very very very difficult read.

I read a lot of books from this time period, but this is the first one that I definitely struggled to finish. The writing style was full of historical 'don't necessarily need-to-know' facts surrounded by suppositions about what the main characters 'may have' said or done. I haven't seen the movie, but maybe I would enjoy it more than I did the book.

A look a WWII through the eyes of the Zoo and people in Warsaw, Poland. Devastating details portrayed. Sometimes I got lost in this book. The details of personalities and the depths people went to help their fellow citizens was enlightening and heartwarming. People can be resilient and resourceful. Good thankfully out does evil but at such a high price. Maybe this is obvious from WWII history but in todays' world it seems important to be reminded.

I, too, drown in the details, very difficult to follow. Author's writing style was boring. The book was mostly a study in zoology. However, there were interesting historical facts. The movie was better.

I drowned in the details... more of a sort of non-fiction presentation than a story; not well laid out somehow. I look forward to the movie as hopefully they get more story and less fact based in the presentation.

This was a book of missed opportunities. The premise offered fertile ground for characters escaping the Nazis. Instead it was a study in zoology. How were they hidden or secreted. That became a secondary plot. Never warmed up to the characters. In no way could this novel be compared to Schindler's List. Very disappointing

Thought the book was okay but it did not think it conveyed how horrific the crimes really were. I never had the the sense that losses were that devastating to the characters. it was just like they accepted what happened and moved on. However, maybe that was all they could do.

Found the author's writing style distracting and boring. The author seems to want to educate the reader on her background research, as well as on the characteristics of the various zoo animals in addition to writing about the zookeeper and his wife. It just doesn't work. Maybe it gets better ...I gave up after a couple of chapters.

After reading several critics comments I feel compelled to observe that I didn't feel as critical about the pacing or writing style because I thought the author was writing in what she felt was Antonina's voice and style. She is the heroine of the story. My overall impression is that I was glad to read about situations experienced by Polish people during World War II who were not in the military, not politicians and not among the wealthy. Also, It was surprising to learn that, in the midst of war, there were those who were as concerned with the survival and safety of the zoo population as the war refugees.